I don’t think Captivating Vampire does much for the deck if you already have Stromkirk Captain – 3-drop Lords aren’t exactly efficient. I also think that the deck may want to maindeck some discard, since you’ve effectively eliminated your sweeper safety valve in Mutavault. I’m also kind of skeptical of having Bloodghast and Rest in Peace in the same 75.

Interesting take. I guess the key question to ask about such a strategy is how it stacks up relative to other controlling Bx midrange decks. My thoughts were originally to start with fish tempo because that’s what I know works for these synergistic, but not blazing-fast tribal strategies, but maybe I need to give a midrange build a bit more thought.

My test games indicated that having 4 Mutavault was not much of an issue (Urborg works wonders in this regard), though part of that was predicated on having Vial for emergency fixing. I’d likely tick them down if I were relying on hardcasting every spell.

The decks payoffs are highborn and nocturnus – you want highborn because with seer/ghast/fetch you can drain steadily – burning people out with highborn drain or a nocturnus alpha strike are the only upsides to monoblack vamps.

So you have a monoblack control deck that can put presure on and alpha strike from nowhere. Its not great but thats the niche vampires has.

Also 4 muta is too much imo. I lost a lot of games due to colourless mana. I like 2 muta 2 urborg. Urborg is nice w fetches and nocturnus/bloodghast.

4 vials also turns off your nocturnus if they show up on top. Better to be all black cards in the deck – play leyline over spellbomb for this reason.

Here what I’m testing :

3 Swamp
3 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Blood Crypt
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Concealed Courtyard
1 Godless Shrine
2 Marsh Flats
2 Mutavault
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3 Viscera Seer
4 Asylum Visitor
4 Dusk Legion Zealot
4 Bloodghast
2 Gifted Aetherborn
4 Legion Lieutenant
2 Captivating Vampire
4 Stromkirk Captain
3 Vampire Nocturnus
4 Aether Vial
3 Fatal Push
3 Terminate

Sideboard cards
1 Gatekeeper of Malakir
2 Gifted Aetherborn
2 Rest in Peace
2 Stony Silence
1 Wear / Tear
4 Thoughtseize
2 Collective Brutality
1 Crumble to Dust

I’m not completetly sure about the SB but right now, the deck is pretty pleasant to play with.

Gatekeeper is certainly a consideration. I didn’t include it in the original 75 because kicker doesn’t play nice with Vial, but it’s a nice answer to big fatties like what Tron and Titanshift can bring to bear. Good call. 🙂

I don’t think running Path over Push is worth making your manabase worse, but Skymarcher Aspirant seems like it’s at least worth a look. There is certainly enough volume of Vampire 1-drops to play that low-to-the-ground aggro playstyle, but does it really perform at a higher level than any of its fast aggro comps (think Affinity, Elves, Goblins, etc.)? I’m skeptical, but I’d love to talk about it.

Probably an Aristocrats-type build. But I’d argue the best possible version of that deck isn’t really Vampire Tribal, since you’d want Zulaport Cutthroat and other value creatures to fuel it.

Seems great!